Saturday, October 31, 2015

Grouse. It’s What’s For Dinner...

10:22 am - 51 degrees - foggy, windy, and raining...

Hunting for wild game to put food on the table used to be a part of everyday life – for some it still is.  Hunting may not be for everyone, but it’s a part of our lives.  Hunting is simply harvesting wild food, and we only harvest what our family will eat {click here}.

Tony hunts for deer and elk every year – one deer and one elk will put enough meat in the freezer to feed our family for a whole year and be able to share some with family and friends.  In fact, as I sit here typing this blog post, Tony and Jack are out deer hunting.

In addition to hunting large game, Tony also hunts upland birds, just not as often.  As our kids get older they want to go hunting with him more often, so this year he took them grouse hunting.


Grouse are small upland birds that range over most of the United States and southern Canada.  They are not usually very big, somewhere between a quail and a pheasant – undressed a grouse will normally range anywhere from a pound to around three pounds, give or take.  So for a family of four, a minimum of four is usually recommended.

Many feel that when it comes to upland birds – grouse is the best as far as flavor goes.  Grouse tastes similar to pheasant, it’s not gamey, and does have some similar “chicken flavor” but it is not nearly as bland as chicken and has a different texture. 

Here is a simple and delicious way to prepare grouse...


 ~Grouse Nuggets~
4 grouse, cleaned and cut into ¾” cubes
Milk
Flour
Salt & Pepper
2 eggs, beaten
Italian bread crumbs
Olive oil

After you have your grouse cleaned and cubed, get out 4 small bowls to make an assembly line.  In the first bowl pour some milk.  In the second bowl pour some flour and season with salt and pepper.  In the third bowl beat two eggs.  In the fourth bowl pour some bread crumbs.

Dip grouse cubes into milk, then flour mixture, then egg wash, and then bread crumbs.  Do this to all the grouse cubes.

Warm a non-stick skillet with ¼” deep of olive oil on medium-high heat.  Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning often so they won’t burn.

Serve with honey, Ranch, BBQ or whatever sauce you like.


- Enjoy!